The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-08-17
TRE CAUSE OF THE WRECK.
Significant Testimony OF the Section Fore
man.

Significant Testimony or the Section Fore
man.
CHICAGO, August 12-President Z. +.
Leonard, of the Toledo, Peoria & Western
Company, said TO a reporter for the Times
that he had made careful but necessarily
brief investigation of the accident and
could in no way account for il, unless on
the presumption that the bridge was set
on FIRE deliberately by fiends for the pur-
pose of wrecking the train and robbiDg
passengers. To say he deplored the acct
dent family ex pressed his feelings. Presi-
dent Leonard came from Springfield in the
afternoon, accompanied by Colonel John
E. Stevens, general solicitor of the road.
When the dead body of Edwin f. Adams
was searched by one of his friends, neither
his pocket book nor gold watch could be
found, although he was known to have
started on the trip with a large sum of
money The only cash found on his per-
son was $50, which he had hid away in the
watch pocket OF his trousers. 5. II. Smith
er, of Forks Haven, w. Va, informed
reporter that he saw a man who was pin
ned down by one of the cars offer several
persons near by 500 and his gold watch
and chain il they would release him. The
persons to whom he appealed helped him
out of the wreck as soon as they had assist
ed some women who were caught by the
tlmbeTs.
morning as TO the cause of the wreck. Ru.
mors were a1oat last night that il was due
TO robbers who fred the bridge, but little
credence was given them. This morning
new facts, apparently showing the catas-
tTophe to be the work OF an organized
band, come to light, and the company find
them worthy of serious investigation.
Superintendent Armstrong said to the
Associated Press reporter that the more he
investigated the more it appeared to him
that the bridge had been set on fire. The
burned grass in its immediate locality was
not Of nature that would likely admit o.
the bridges catching. from it. he had OBJ
served many thieves at work, and had
stopped them while despoiling the wreck
of property and money Instances OF the
robblDg of the dead were being brought to
bis attention. The excursion had been ex-
tensively advertised, and the time it would
pass over the bridge was well known. CIti-
zens saY that q gang Of suspicious fellows
have been lettering around Chats1orth for
some days. Many Of these were found
e sTIy at the wreck, more intent on reliev-
ing the bodies of their valuables than of
caring for them otherwise. 1rainman and
passengers had frequent contentious with
the vandals. In one instance Superin-
tsndent Armstrong found well-known
thief in the depot room, where the prop
erty taken from the wreck was stored.
While people of the town have done all IN
their power for the sufferers, there is a
borde Of tramps and thieves in this vicin-
ify who do nothing but carry of anything
they can get their hands on.
at this mornings session Of the coron-
er's jury some decidedly significant testi-
moDy was given. Timothy Coughlin, the
section foreman here, testified that he had
four men helping him on his six and q
half miles. He received orders on Wed
pesdsy to 60 over his section and see that
the bridges and track were all right.
Coughlin went to the east end of the sec.
fion and burned the grass along the track
for bali mile. He burned q piece O
little over half mile from the wreck and
put the IRE out. he examined the bridge
about 5 o'clock and found no smoke about